Yugure of the Kanari Clan
by Tsuki no Ojo
Summary: An exiled member of a powerful clan called the Kanari, Yugure gets captured by the Zankoku. Upon escaping, she finds that she left her best friend behind. Can she become a strong enough shinobi to save him?


***SIGH* I've had writers block for a while. I don't know if I can write a good story. I'll try, though.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, even if I wish so hard.**_

_**Claimer: I do, however, own the Kanari Clan, and everyone in it.**_

**I might use some Japanese words in my story, such as mun no hana.**

_Yugure_

_of the _

_Kanari Clan_

_Chapter One_

_The Past, Present, and Future_

Laugher cast itself through long corridors, full and empty rooms, and large, grand halls. Voices of excited people who where deep in the act of merry-making echoed, and forced out all silence with every sound wave.

A pale girl sat in the midst of the cheer. Her face was far from happy, if not expressionless. Her long, glossy black hair drooped to her waist. The girl's silver eyes saw nothing but the floor.

The girl was clad in an all-black, cotton robe, that was had a wide, bertha-like collar. Around her neck, a neckband of black cotton was tied. Attached to the neckband was a silver chain that, on the other end, was tied to a wooden pole.

Her clothing was that of a servant's. She had been captured by the Zankoku Clan. _Her_, a warrior of the Kanari Clan, who were said to be the best fighters. Captured. Even thinking that word made her disgusted with herself.

As she sat there, a boy walked up to her. "Hey, Yugure-chan." he said as he sat down beside her.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping with the guests, Koibito-kun?" Yugure said, hugging her knees closer to her body.

Koibito, who had the same black hair as Yugure, shrugged. His golden eyes sparkled. "The Mistress said I could take a tiny break. We have plenty of servants, apparently." Koibito sighed.

Koibito was from the same clan as Yugure. Unlike Yugure, who was part of the main family, was part of a branch family. Normally, the First Branch Family had golden eyes, and the Second Branch Family had bronze. The Head Family had silver.

Yugure glanced around. Even after hours of the feast, many highly respected people were joyous. Their faces were alight with happiness.

Koibito put his hand over hers. "It'll be alright. You'll see, Yugure. We'll make it somehow." His hand pulled back to his side. "Maybe Ao no Kimi or Kiha no Kimi will rescue us."

Ao no Kimi and Kiha no Kimi were the current master and mistress of the Kanari Clan. They were supposed to be the most respected, but many of the Kanari thought even higher of the hanshis, who were the best of the best.

"Or perhapes Kakami-hanshi will come with the the hanshis." Yugure thought aloud. Koibito snorted.

"Kakami-hanshi? She doesn't care about us. All she sees us as are two, weak children who can't even avoid being captured by a clan that is lower than us. She won't come."

"Maybe the other hanshis, then?" Yugure questioned. She sighed and rested her chin on her knees. "Maybe not."

After several minutes, the people started to fan out, some of them returning to their rooms, others restfully sitting by the fireplace hearth. The lord and lady of the clan talked lazily with their companions about nothing.

Soon, all of them were gone. The only ones left were the servants, who were rushing to clean the tables. Yugure was still tied to the wood post. Koibito yawned beside her, though he tried his best not to show it. "Koibito." Yugure said quietly. "Go get some sleep. I'm fine here."

Koibito raised his hand as if motioning her to stop. "Nah, I'm fine." But the girl could tell that he was tired, for his eyes drooped despite himself.

But Yugure wouldn't have it. "If you don't go, I will tell everyone in this mansion of the time when you--"

The boy covered her mouth and glanced around. Anything that Yugure told people about his was usually embarassing. "Okay, okay! You're so stubborn." Koibito stood up and stretched. "See ya." he said before walked off toward the servant's quarters.

Yugure was alone. She sighed and closed her eyes, hoping someone would remember her. Why the master had her tied up, she didn't know. Very soon, the servants were finished and were heading back to their beds. The hall became very empty very quickly.

Hours passed. The girl was deep asleep when someone entered the hall. Footsteps echoed along the walls. Yugure's eyes snapped open, to find that the master had leisurely strolled to the hall.

She hoped he didn't notice her. Yugure scrunched closer together, trying to become as small as possible.

"Oh, you're still here?" said the master. Yugure's eyes closed for a second as she mentally winced.

"Y-yes..." she mumbled. The master walked over to her. He bent down and untied to the end of the chain that was tied to the wooden pole, leaving it hanging and sparkling from Yugure's neck.

"Go get some sleep. I can't have my servants becoming lazy from insomnia, now can I?" the master said, smiling. As Yugure bowed and turned, the master sighed. "Good night, Yugure-chan."

Yugure was far from the door, but not out of hearing range. Yugure-chan? When did the master start calling her _that_?! The girl shuddered. She didn't like the sound of him saying her name like that. It made her feel uneasy.

As the girl entered the quarters and found her own bed, she thought about her family. What were they doing? Were they planning to rescue her? Did they even _care_?

Yugure slipped underneath the dirty covers. Her mind instantly began dreaming.

~_Dorimumodo_~

_ Yugure smiled. She was standing beside her mother, Kiha, who was smiling, also. Kiha placed her pale hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Yugure, my me seicho. No, you are now my mun no hana. For you are no longer a growing bud. You are a moon flower."_

_ The girl's smile widened. "Thank you, okaa-san. A moon flower cannot survive without a moon, now can it?"_

_ Kiha hugged Yugure tight. "Let's just hope that that moon flower isn't blocked from the ever watchful light of the moon."_

_ Yugure hugged her back. "It won't." she whispered into her mother's shoulder. As the two embraced, someone knocked on the door. A guard walked in. "Kiha no Kimi. Ao no Kimi has requested your presence. He says it is urgent."_

_ Kiha sighed and nodded. "Go train, Yugure. You will need it." She turned and left the room, leaving Yugure to train._

~_Edodorimumodo_~

Yugure sighed happily. She remembered her mother well. Her father, Ao no Kimi, was but a vague memory. After all, he was the one who had exiled her after she had failed to defeat Kakami-hanshi.

Ao no Kimi, or Ao-chichi-ue, was very strict. He hated Yugure, or that's what it seemed like. Yugure could understand why. Kanari masters were only allowed to have one child per wife, and Yugure was Ao's first born. That meant that the girl had to find a husband so that she could become the female no Kimi, and her husband would be the male no Kimi. Ao was no happy about that. All of his wives, including Kiha, had each given birth to one daughter and no sons. For that, Ao chose his firstborn child, which had been Yugure. After Yugure had been exiled, there was no telling how mad Ao was.

The girl rolled onto her side, lost in the strange paths of her dreams.

**I know it was really short. Sorry about that. **

**I can't get this song out of my head! It's called 'Beauty of Annihilation' by Elena Siegman. The song is used on COD World at War, for the Nazi Zombies. It's so awesome. And so is Lullaby for a Deadman, also by Elena Siegman. It, too, is used on Nazi Zombies.**

**You may be wondering what all these Japanese honorifics mean, right? **

**no Kimi--a lord or lady of the court, not normally used**

**okaa-san--mother, or my mother**

**hanshi--a teacher of teachers in martial arts**

**chichi-ue--respected father**


End file.
